Maybe I shouldn't have started this blog now, not with everything that's been going on.

First day of the second week of classes, first trimester, school year 2005 to 2006: I had resolved to cover a bit more topics in my Mathematical Methods One lecture than I probably had in the previous meetings.

I took up the three methods of factoring polynomials (one common term, reverse special products and grouping), and most of the students (if not all, if their silence means comprehensions) were able to follow not only because it is already a review, but also because a lot of them already bought or borrowed the main reference book.

Leon, again, called my attention to the fact that in one example (where the factor is just one term) I gave a positive expression as the common factor, while in another example I used a negative factor. This makes me realize he’s not paying attention to what I say and just following (much more closely than his classmates, to catch some errors I write down) what I jot on the board, because as I wrote down that answer, I did say that both positive and negative factors are acceptable, but that I would only write one of each. After his question, I just wrote down both possible answers for clarity.

From that topic I immediately segued into rational expressions, which required factoring polynomials for simplification. I also started on the operations with rational expressions, but after enumerating the procedures, I only finished multiplication before I decided on having the regular exercise.

There were four numbers as usual, but some of the factoring was a bit difficult for the students. Now the challenge for them begins.

In my Differential Equations class immediately afterwards, we started on a review of the different types of differentials, such as partial, ordinary, linear and nonlinear.

After that, we took up elimination of arbitrary constants by coming up with either the first or second derivative depending on how many constants needed to be removed (we only took up to two). I gave four different examples, showing them that with one or two extra equations, they can just use isolation of constants and substitution after studying the expressions.

Then I divided the class into groups of four members each and assigned them four numbers for a team exercise. This I told them to submit in the cafeteria while I had my early lunch, and that I would meet with them again at the start of our Introduction to Electricity and Magnetism class.

I sat at the farthest end of the cafeteria so they would have some difficulty in finding me. Afterwards I passed by the faculty room to drop off the submissions at my table, and that was when the secretary told me that they were waiting for me in the annual medical exam.

Since my classes were straight for almost five hours, I was planning to go there in the afternoon. The secretary told me though that the time allotted for the college faculty was only from 11 to 12pm. She promised me that there was almost no line because a lot of the personnel had gone earlier.

There were certain exams I couldn’t take because I already ate, and it still took me two thirds of an hour to get through everything.

I’ll discuss the rest tomorrow and top off session 611 here. In the meantime, class dismissed.